Fact Checked
Swimmer’s ear is a painful condition on the outer area of the ear and ear canal. The ear canal is a tube that extends from the outer ear to the middle ear. It protects the middle ear from developing infections and entry of foreign materials. The outer area of the canal produces ear wax or cerumen that prevents debris from entering the ear. This condition happens in swimmers caused by contaminated water trapped inside the ear. It causes painful inflammation and problems with hearing.
Symptoms of swimmer’s ear
- Severe dizziness or spinning sensation or vertigo
- Smelly and bloody or with pus fluid that drains from the ear
- Fever
- Severe pain or redness of the skin at the back of the ear
- Facial weakness
- Buzzing inside the ears or tinnitus
- Nausea and vomiting
- Severe pain in the ear especially when touched, pulled or when chewing
- Loss of hearing
Severe pain in the ear especially when touched, pulled or when chewing. - Itching or soreness when touching the ear
- A feeling of fullness of the ear
- Swelling lymph nodes if there is infection
Causes
- Cleaning the ears using cotton swabs or objects inserted in the canal and result to breaking the ear canal.
- Excessive moisture inside ear canal due to showering or swimming which changes the acidic environment of the canal and bacteria or fungus can easily enter the area.
- Sharing ear buds with other people
- Devices such as ear plug, hearing aids, headphones that are inserted into the ear canal.
- Chemicals such as bleaches, hair dyes and shampoos that accidentally enter the ear can cause irritation.
- Conditions of skin such as psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and cause a break in the skin and makes it easy for bacteria or fungus to enter the area.
Treatment
- Avoid any further irritations on the ear and avoid removing visible debris or drainage coming from the ear.
- Avoid exposure to water or swimming while in the healing stage.
- Use the prescribed eardrops with antibiotics to eliminate bacteria, lessen the pain and for fast healing of the condition.
- Apply heat on the area using a heating pad for at least 10 minutes to lessen the pain. Place a folded towel between the ear and the heating pad to prevent accidental burning of the area and delays the healing.
- Prescribed steroids to lessen the swelling and the pain.
- Prescribed antifungal medications if the condition is caused by fungus.
- Pain medications to lessen the pain and the inflammation.
- Oral or IV antibiotics for severe infection or has already spread to other tissue, bone or cartilage.
Tips
- When swimming use earplugs and when taking a bath cover the hair with shower caps to prevent water from entering the ear canal.
- Avoid placing objects in the ear to prevent scratching or scraping the skin in the ear canal.
- Avoid using cotton swabs in removing earwax from the ear.
- Dry ears properly after taking a bath or swimming. Use dry, fresh and clean towel.
FACT CHECK
https://www.healthline.com/health/otitis-externa
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ear-infection/understanding-swimmer-ear-basics#1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/swimmers-ear/symptoms-causes/syc-20351682